Excavator



'2 Sheets-Shet 1.

EXCAVATOR. V

Patented Nov. 19,1895.

ANDREW BSRNIAMJHUTULI'MQWASNINGION. DE.

J'. M. BARR.

(No Model.)

' UNirEIn STATES.

ATENT Fries.

JAMES M. BARRQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXCAVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,152, dated November19, 1895.

Application filed April 30, 1894. Serial No. 509,496. (No model.)

cavator, especially adapted for use in railway-' cutting, 85c. and theinvention consists in the features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section;Fig. 2, a detail of the driving-gear; Fig. 3, a plan view of themachine, partly in section, looking at it from the top; Fig.4, avertical section taken on lineA: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5a front elevation.of a portion of the machine.

In the art to which this invention relates, and especially when used forthe purpose of making cuts for railroad-beds, it is desirable that anexcavatorbe made that will make a cut the full width of the machine, sothat the supporting-truck may follow in such cut. Making the excavationthe full width of the machine enables the machine to travel in the cutso made and avoids the necessity (which ex-, ists in machines where thetravel of supporting-wheels is outside of the width of the cut) ofpreparing proper wheel-tracks to enable the cut to be made upon 'a truealignment. This advantage will be readily appreciated when it isunderstood that ordinarily at points where it is desirable to excavatethe ground is very uneven, so that an excavator which does not form itsown bed must be provided with proper wheel-tracks, necessitating acertain amount of preliminary grading before such tracks can be laid toperform the excavation, and, further, requires additional labor toperform the final alignment or grading.

The principal object of my invention is to remove many of the objectionsexisting in present structures and provide a portable excavator thatwill make a cut the full width of the machine, so that the supportingand propelling truck may follow in such cut to make a cut of the propergrade and alignment.

A further object of my invention is to provide an organized portableexcavator that is constantly propelled forward in the bed of its owncut,while the excavator operates continuously in cutting and deliveringmaterial to a point of deposit.

In constructing my improved portable exin brackets b b to the forwardend of the truck-frame, such brackets being secured thereto in anyconvenient manner, preferably by means of bolts and nuts. To rotatethese helical shovels, I prefer to use an engine C, mounted or supportedon the truck in any convenient manner so as to rotate a main shaft 0with its two sprocket-wheels D, the rotation of the main shaft beingimparted to the helical shovels through the sprocketwheels D, the chain(1, and sprocket-wheel d. The helical shovels are so arranged as to makea cut slightly wider than the truck following, so that the truck mayfollow directly in the bed of the cut, thus dispensing with thenecessity of laying tracks. These shovels are partially surrounded by acasing E of the proper form and size, so that the material which istaken up by these shovels is kept in contact with their helical groovesand forced back upon proper conveyers, to' be removed to any desiredpoint." To convey the waste material from the shovels to a properreceptacle or desired point, I provide an initial belt-conveyer G, whichis mounted on pulleys g, having shafts and bearings in the side frame ofthe machine, and which are rotated by means of sprockets gg andfsprocketchain 9 particularly shown in Fig. 2. To convey the waste material fromthis initial conveyer, I provide a secondary belt-c011- veyer II,mounted upon rotating cylinders or pulleys h and driven by means ofsprocketchains h on one of the pulleyshafts. This sprocket-chain may beconnected by means of suitable power-transmitting mechanism with theengine-shaft, but which Ideem it unnecessary to show or describe here indetail. The material is conveyed back by the secondary conveyer toeither a dump-car, which may convey it to a spoil-bank or other suitableplace of deposit, or another conveyer of any description may be providedby which the spoil or waste material is conveyed to the economical,either to the full diameter of the helical shovels or but a verysmall'portion of 1 their diameter. It is also desirable to soraise and lowerthe helical shovels that an excavation may be formed at any desiredgrade or incline in which the truck may follow. To accomplish thisresult I pivot the truck-frame upon the axle I of the rear truck-wheels,and

turn so as to turn the truck around-any de- Secured insuitsired corneror curvature. able bearings at the upper portion of this pivotal frameis a shaft k, provided 'witlrpinions one at each end, which'engage withthe segmental rack of the truck-frame in such,

manner that the rotation of the'shaft 7:, .and its pinion k will raiseand lower the segmental. rack, and with it the front end of thetruck-frame, which action raises and lowers the helical shovels toengage with the anaterial. to be excavated at the desired depth,

'lhisshaft is provided with the sprocketwheelie", which may, by means ofasprocketchain, be connected to the main engine-shaft: 111 such mannerthat the power of the engine may be used to lower or raise thetruck-frame.

It is often desirable to propel the entiretruck by mechanical power asthe helical shovels are working, so that they will make the properadvancement or feed into the cut and remove the earth as fast as seemsnecessary in a regular and constant manner. To accomplished this resultI provide the rear truck-wheels with an internal annular gear L, andmounted on the truck-frame in suitable bearings is a shaft Z, having apinion Z at each end,meshing and engaging with the annular gear of thetruck-wheels. This shaft may be provided with a sprocket-wheel or a setof bevel-gearsand be engaged by means of suitable gearing with the maindriving-shaft of the engine, so that during the rotation of thisdriving-shaft motion will be imparted to the rear truck-wheels andpropelth-e truck forward at any desired rate of speed, it beingunderstood, of course, that the gearing is so porportioned that theproper .forward motion of the truck may be attained.

The truck-wheels may be of the ordinary fiat type and provided withcorrugated metal tires, by which the excavator may be moved along thebed or cut, or they maybe .pro-

vided with flanged tires and of the gage used engagement with the faceof the cut.

in railroad construction and the out provided with a suitable track uponwhich the truck, with its wheels, may be moved along as de sired.

In operation, the machine is moved into position to make the desiredexcavation and the mechanism rotated. The forward movement of themachine carries the helical shovels into As the machine advances and theshovels rotate, the material is carried back upon the initial conveyer,thence to the second conveyer, and thence by means of this conveyer to asuit able dump-car, which may follow in the wake of theexcavating-machine, and which, when loaded,will be removed audanemp'tyone supplied in its ,place. The machine may be moved along astraight line, taking out the desired amountof material the first timeuntil the entire length of the out has been traversed, when theapparatus may :be either moved backto its initial starting-point and theexcavation started at a new deptlnorthe cutwidened,as desired, themovements of the whole apparatus being under control of one operator.

The principal advantages ofrm y improved excavator are that I haveprovided an excavator in which is arranged and combined helical shovels,a pivotal supporting-truck,

and mechanism for propelling :the truck forward in the bed of the cut,so that a cut for railroad and similar purposes "may be made without thenecessity of layinga track. Further, the excavator can beiadjustedinsuch a manner that a continuous out can be made at anydesiredlgradeor'incline; and, finally, I have provided a machine thatexcavates 'or removes material from a point of excavation, delivering itto a pointof discharge, all operating in a continuousl-manner.

I claim- 1. A portableexcavator, comprising a supporting and propellingtruck, wheels upon which such truck is moved: and mounted, a pluralityof rotating cuttingshovels mounted in a horizontal plane :at the forwardend of the truck, means for operating the shovels and propelling thetruck forwardcontinuously, and an inolosing case provided with ahorizontal portion arranged to deflect and guide the material toward thecuttingshovels and in combination therewith to excavate a substantiallylevel out the full width of the machine, substantially as described.

2. A portable excavator, comprising asupporting and propelling truck,wheels upon which such truck is moved and mounted, at least threehelical shovels rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane at theforwardend of the truck, an inclosing case provided with a horizontal cuttingedge to deflect and :guide the material toward the helical shovels andin combination therewithto excavate a subthe truck toreceive thematerial excavated ITO by'the shovels and to deliver it to a point of Idischarge, and a motor arranged on the truck for propelling the sameforward and operating shovels and conveyers in a continuous manner,substantially as described.

3. A portable excavator comprising a truck provided with wheelspivotally mounted upon one pair of the supporting wheels and adapted tosupport and move the operating mechanism, a rack and pinion for raisingand lowering the truck with its operative mechanism upon the pivotalaxle, one or more rotatable, helical shovels mounted on such truck in ahorizontal, longitudinal position, a casing se-. cured to the truck andpartially surrounding the shovels for deflect-ing and guiding thematerial to be excavated into contact with the rotatable shovels, beltconveyers secured to the truck for taking and delivering the wastematerial to a point of deposit, and a motor upon such truck foroperating the rotatable excavators and conveyers, substantially asdescribed.

4. A portable excavator comprising a supporting truck provided withwheels upon which the operative mechanism is supported andmounted andpivoted to the rear pair of wheels so that the front end of the truckmay be raised or lowered, rack and pinion mechanism secured to the frameand front pair of wheels for raising and lowering the free end of thetruck, one or more rotatable, helical shovels mounted at the freevibrating end of the truck in a horizontal, longitudinal plane, a casingsecured to the truck and partially inclosing the shovels for deflectingand guiding the earth to be excavated and keeping it in contact with theshovels during the rotation, belt conveying mechanism on the truckforreceiving and conveying the waste mate-

